Quantitative Magnetization Transfer Imaging in Multiple Sclerosis: A 3.0 Tesla Clinical Study (P3.381)
2018
Objective: We apply a newly developed selective inversion recovery quantitative magnetization transfer (SIR-qMT) imaging technique to patients with multiple sclerosis (MS); and test the hypothesis that indices derived from SIR-qMT are sensitive to different degree of pathological changes, hence showing hallmarks of neurodegenerative tissue injury and evidence for the severity of neurological dysfunction. Background: Characterizing and quantifying acute and chronic myelin loss in vivo is challenged by the lack of quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods sensitive and specific to myelin quantity. Lack of this MRI biometric is an obstacle to a responsible conduct of clinical trials on neuroprotection. Unlike the more commonly employed MT-ratio, qMT-derived measures are insensitive to non-physiological parameters and, therefore, provide objective and quantitative indices on myelin integrity that are suited for multi-site longitudinal studies. Design/Methods: Nineteen MS patients and nine age-sex matched heathy volunteers underwent a 3.0 Tesla brain MRI, inclusive of T1-weighted (pre/post-contrast), T2-weighted, and SIR scans. Differences in the macromolecular to free water pool-size-ratio (PSR) and the spin-lattice relaxation rate of water (R1f) between lesional/non-lesional areas were derived and associations with measures of disability were assessed. Results: PSR/R1f measures differed (p Conclusions: We deliver the first clinical application of SIR-qMT in MS and demonstrate that SIR-qMT derived measures may be a quantitative biomarker of myelin integrity. Expected differences in tissues with different pathologies were demonstrated. The stronger associations between SIR-qMT indices and disability scores seen for T2-lesions vs cBHs suggest the importance of other cBH pathological components affecting patient disability. Study Supported by: NIH/NIBIB K25 EB13659 Disclosure: Dr. Bagnato has nothing to disclose. Dr. Franco has nothing to disclose. Dr. Thomas has nothing to disclose. Dr. Smith has nothing to disclose. Dr. Xu has nothing to disclose. Dr. Dortch has nothing to disclose.
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